National Endowment for the Arts FY 2017 Fall Grant Announcement

To support the development and world premiere production of "Perverse Results." The original, ensemblecreated
work will explore unintended consequences in human culture. Using as raw material a catalogue of
historical instances of unintended consequences, the work will investigate the roles of forethought, planning,
and critical thinking in achieving desired outcomes. The piece will be created collaboratively by the ensemble
members using experimental theater practices and techniques.
San Diego Repertory Theatre (aka San Diego REP)
$20,000 San Diego, CA
To support the world premiere of "Into the Beautiful North," based on the novel by Luis Alberto Urrea, and
adapted for the stage by Karen Zacarias. The play tells the story of a courageous young woman from Mexico
who decides to cross the border into the United States to recruit men to return to protect her defenseless town
from bandits. The story centers on her 1,000-mile binational road trip, and will feature music and projections
designed to evoke the virtual landscape of the Pacific Coast. The production will be accompanied by educational
and engagement activities including student performances and talkbacks, a publication, and events produced in
partnership with local businesses, community organizations, community leaders, and artists.
Sandglass Center for Puppetry and Theater Research (aka Sandglass Theater)
$15,000 Putney, VT
To support the creation and production of "Babylon," an original, ensemble-created work. Using puppetry,
scrolling panoramas, and original choral music, the work will explore the escalating global crisis of refugees and
asylum seekers. Stories will be collected through facilitated conversations with refugees in northern Vermont,
and translated into four-part choral pieces based on New England shape note hymns. The theater also will
develop a performance residency workshop designed for community participants to experience the complexity
of the processes of being granted asylum for refugees and asylum seekers, and to enable audiences to reflect on
how the crisis of refugees affects their lives.
Saratoga International Theatre Institute, Inc. (aka SITI Company)
$25,000 New York, NY
To support SITI Work/Space, a new model for creating work as an ensemble. Inspired by the visual artist's studio
model in which a variety of different pieces are created simultaneously, the company will develop a series of
smaller plays in its New York rehearsal studio. The project will launch the development of "This American
Moment," a new play by SITI Company members with playwright Lucas Hnath and dramaturg Megan Carter. The
initiative will support the development of "Chess Match," a new work inspired by composer, music theorist, and
writer John Cage. Work also will continue on projects begun in the previous year of SITI Work/Space. Addressing
the question of how to create more modular, touring work as the company matures, the initiative is designed to
make the creation process more accessible to local audiences, and to serve as a prototype for other ensemble
companies.
Second Stage Theatre, Inc.
$25,000 New York, NY
To support a production of "A Parallelogram" by Bruce Norris. Set in a near future world where human
connection is deteriorating as technology becomes more valued, the play tells the story of Bee, a young woman
who discovers that she can see and interact with her future self. The work explores ideas of fate, destiny, and
whether or not we can change our future, and challenges audiences to consider what would happen if we lost
the connections that make us human. The theater will host a series of audience engagement activities in
conjunction with the production, including a free Second Generation Night for community college students, free
tickets to student groups, and talkbacks after preview performances.
Some details of the projects listed are subject to change, contingent upon prior Arts Endowment approval. Information is current as of
December 7, 2016.